In the vain hope for rationality, reason and logic in politics. In the dream that mere citizens can see far better than the elected or appointed.

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Loudoun County - Part II

So as time passed, they got all those services and stores and new equipment and law enforcement presence. As the County Board of Supervisors approved more and more building permits on the eastern half of the county, some of those living in the western half were afraid of a possible increase in crime due to a larger population in the east. They said that Loudoun County was no longer as safe as before because it was no longer a rural county. Of course, that larger Sheriff's department was ever so useful.

Soon enough came the ultimate in shopping convenience and low cost – Wal-Mart. All they had to do was pop into the Volvos or Land Rovers and take a short drive to the eastern half of the county to go to Wal-Mart. After shopping there they would hop back into their Volvos or Land Rovers and drive back to their nice home in the country. The only minor inconvenience that they have to bear with was a little bit of traffic near Wal-Mart but that was the price of progress. Never mind that the rest of those living in the eastern half of the county had to put up with the traffic every day. It wasn't their problem.

Of course the newcomers to Loudoun County moved into the eastern half because that was where all the building permits were approved and little if any permits were approved in the western half because the official reason was “We need to keep part of the county’s character intact.”

As the eastern half developed property values went up. The first to feel the impact of increased taxes were of the new suburbanites but the farmers that lived near the eastern half of the county. Suddenly, the tax bills will much higher than before due to no fault of their own. Running a farm became more expensive with each year thanks to their neighbors who wanted substantial development to happen in the county.